Archive for December, 2015

Senior Travelers Stop In Charles City

Charles City, Iowa with a population of around 8,000, is the seat of Floyd County. I am from Iowa and we called it “Chuck City”. There are plenty of things for senior travelers to do and see in Charles City. The latest development is the first ever whitewater course in the state of Iowa which features three different drops.

Located on the site of a Winnebago Indian village, Charles City was originally named “Charlestown” for the son of the first-known white settler to the area, Joseph Kelly in 1851. By 1852, twenty-five other settler families had joined Kelly and a community was born. The town name changed, first to “St. Charles” and then to “Charles City”.

Charles City is known for the role it played in the history of the American tractor. A native son Charles Walter Hart, whose father owned three local farms, met Charles H. Parr in college.

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, Hart and Parr developed a two-cylinder gasoline engine and set up their business in Charles City in 1897. It was in this place in 1901 that the term “tractor”, with Latin roots and a combination of the words traction and power, was first coined by Hart and Parr.

Seniors Visit A Great Midwest Rural County Museum

Although more famously known for producing tractors, the Hart-Parr company also made some of the first washing machines. Selling for $155.00 in the 1920s, the buyer had the option of ordering either an electric or gasoline engine. The Floyd County Historical Museum preserves the plant’s history and memories in an extensive collection of documents and artifacts.

Unexpected adventure awaits senior visitors in Charles City. River fun around Charles City is more than just the WhiteWater Riverfront Development, there is flat water paddling and Charles City is the heart of everything with the Cedar River.

The Floyd County Museum in Charles City is one of the Midwest’s largest rural county museums, with over 50,000 artifacts depicting early and recent prairie life, both agricultural and industrial.

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Museum’s home is the former Dr. Salsbury’s Laboratories. Ever heard of him? The Museum owns Floyd County’s oldest existing building, the Muchlar cabin, built in 1853.

Seniors Visit A Frank Lloyd Wright Home

The city has been devastated by tornadoes several times in its history (1858-1908-1968).

The Alvin Miller house that Frank Lloyd Wright designed lies on the banks of the Cedar River. It is quite famous, as there are only a handful of his homes in Iowa.

Senior travelers, put Charles City on your travel bucket list as you drive through Iowa. You will find it to be welcoming and you can experience some good old fashioned Iowa hospitality. -jeb

Seniors Discover “Valpo”

This senior recalls driving through Valparaiso, Indiana once on our way to visit Amish Country in the northwest part of the state. The city was beautiful, especially the campus of Valparaiso University.

This four-year, private institution enrolls about 4,500 students from over 50 countries on a campus of 350 acres on the south side of the city near downtown. Originally named Valparaiso Male and Female College, the University was founded in 1859 as one of the first co-education colleges in the United States.

“Valpo”, as everyone calls it, has 32,000+ inhabitants and is the seat of Porter County. The city is very much a part of the “Crossroads of America,” due to its proximity to I-65, I-80, I-90, and I-94. The city has a long history as a transportation hub for the region.

Seniors Enjoy A College Town

Located on the ancient Indian trail from Rock Island to Detroit, the town had its first log cabin in 1834. Established in 1836 as Portersville, county seat of Porter County, it was renamed to Valparaiso (meaning “Vale of Paradise” in Old Spanish) in 1837 after Valparaíso, Chile, near which the county’s namesake David Porter battled in the Battle of Valparaiso during the War of 1812. The city, at the end of the 19th century, was called the “City of Churches” due to its large number of churches.

Valpo is the site of multiple colleges and universities. Purdue University North Central has a satellite campus in Valparaiso, and one of Ivy Tech’s 23 regional campuses is located in the city. The Valparaiso University is a cultural center of the city, hosting venues such as the Brauer Museum of Art, home to more than 2,700 pieces of 19th- and 20th century American art.

TripAdvisor suggests that seniors not miss The Memorial Opera House, built in 1893 as a memorial to Civil War veterans. This historic landmark theatre continues a long tradition of opening its doors to local and national talent. I would want to head off for the Taltree Arboretum and Gardens, a nature preserve boasting the largest collection of oak trees in Indiana and an award winning garden railway. This Railway Garden features hand-crafted bridges, water and vignettes that pays tribute to the steam locomotive era of American railroad history.

Seniors View The Indiana Dunes And Lake Michigan

Destination360 notes that Valpo is “a very short distance from both the Indiana dunes and Lake Michigan, both of which are popular places for camping, swimming, and hiking.

The Wizard of Oz Festival is held every September in the Porter County Expo Center. Then there is the Popcorn Festival, due to the fact that it was the birthplace of my munchies hero…popcorn-legend Orville Redenbacher.

Seniors Head To Redmond

Senior travelers will find Redmond, an affluent suburb, located 10 miles northeast of Seattle, within the Seattle metropolitan area. The population runs just over 45,000. Redmond is commonly recognized as the home of both Microsoft and Nintendo of America. With an annual bike race on city streets and the state’s only velodrome, Redmond is known as the “Bicycle Capital of the Northwest”.

Native Americans have lived in the Redmond area for at least 10,000 years. The first European settlers arrived in the 1870s.

Luke McRedmond filed a Homestead Act claim for land next to the Sammamish Slough on September 9, 1870. The rivers and streams had so many salmon that the settlement was initially named Salmonberg. In 1883 the name was changed to Redmond.

The largest employer in the city by far is Microsoft Corporation, which moved its headquarters to Redmond in 1986. Perhaps you have heard of SpaceX. In January 2015 SpaceX announced it was opening a facility in Redmond. Its focus will be R&D and manufacturing for a proposed internet communications satellite constellation.

Senior Bikers Like Redmond’s Trails

Today, Redmond has a lot going for it including access to the water and great parks, and the excitement is building as the Downtown Redmond neighborhood transforms into a vibrant urban center. Senior bikers can pick up a bike and enjoy the city’s numerous trails.

TripAdvisor has it all set for you including the 31 top rated things to do in Redmond. I’d want to make it a point to visit the Woodinville Lavender Farm. The farm store offers a large range of lavender products including, plants, fresh cut bouquets, aromatherapy, cleaning, home decor, bath & body, and culinary items. And oh…that smell, one of my favorite essences. Four spas and wellness centers are in town and my wife would enjoy those.

Redmond offers all of the natural beauty and fun activities one would expect to find in the Pacific Northwest. From serene and meandering bike paths to competitive cycling events; from lively outdoor concerts to diverse family activities; from an upscale outdoor shopping center (Redmond Town Center) to local boutique stores.

Seniors Enjoy Washington’s Fine Wineries

Redmond has some fine wineries for senior eonophiles. Woodinville Wine Country features over 100 wineries and tasting rooms, offering some of Washington State’s finest.

Senior visitors can enjoy the Marymoor Park, Sammamish River Trail, The Old Redmond Firehouse, Overlake Fashion Plaza, Bear Creek Village and the Redmond Historical Society. A picnic lunch would be nice in one of the 23 well maintained parks in Redmond.

Winter provides snow activities such as skiing and snowboarding at Snoqualmie Pass which is about a half hour drive from Redmond. So set your GPS for Redmond and enjoy all the amenities the city has to offer. It will be a memorable experience. -jeb

Seniors Visit Perkasie

A local restaurant owner told me that she and her husband were from Perkasie, PA., so this senior just had to check out the borough and learn more about it. It proved to be a neat visit and I hope that you will enjoy your visit as well.

Perkasie is 35 miles north of Philadelphia midway between Philadelphia and Allentown. Establishments in the borough early in the twentieth century included silk mills, baseballs, brickyards, lumber mills, tile works, a stone crusher, and manufacturers of cigars, tags and labels, wire novelties, etc.

The population in 1900 was 1,803; in 1910, 2,779 people lived in Perkasie. The present population runs just over 8,500 residents. Both the town of Perkasie and Pocasie Creek come from the Lenape word Poekskossing [or Pokesing], meaning ‘where the hickory nuts were cracked.’ There was doubtless a village on the site of the present town before William Penn’s Perkasie Manor was settled.

Seniors Enjoy Perkasie’s Parks and Downtown Area

Senior visitors can enjoy the historic town of Perkasie, with its outstanding park system and revitalized downtown. Fun Fact – Perkasie was home to a major league baseball factory which produced millions of baseballs between 1920 and 1950. Perkasie’s events calendar is always buzzing with a plethora of events in and around Bucks County.

TripAdvisor has been there and provides senior visitors with an overview, places to stay and things to do in Perkasie. And get this, there are 84 parks and a dozen campgrounds within 15 miles of Perkasie, so bring along a picnic basket and your favorite blanket.

Perkasie Park is a private seasonal, historic facility that’s been in the Borough of Perkasie since the early 1880s and features 60 Victorian-era cottages, a historic outdoor auditorium, and other buildings located on 21 acres of open space within Perkasie Borough.

This summertime community has association members who travel from as near as South Perkasie and as far as Texas, Florida and Arizona to spend time at Perkasie Park. Hop in with me and enjoy a leisurely drive through snowy Perkasie. It is a great means to get a feel for this attractive borough.

Seniors Find Historic Covered Bridge and Carousel

Me, I’d want to be sure to visit the Perkasie Historical Society, founded in 1954, that strives to help preserve the history of Perkasie Borough. It cares for the four historic venues: the South Perkasie Covered Bridge, the Perkasie Carousel, Perkasie Museum and the Stout Family Cemetery.

The 1832 South Perkasie Covered Bridge is located in Lenape Park. While the bridge no longer spans the creek, seniors can enjoy it when visiting the park. The Olde Town Tavern on West Walnut Street seems to be a favorite place to dine and to enjoy the local flavor of the borough.

Seniors Spend Time In Moline

Moline is a city in Illinois with more than 43,000 inhabitants, that senior travelers will find nestled between the banks of the Mississippi River and Rock River. A factory town was platted in 1843 on the Illinois shore under the working name of “Rock Island Mills”. The name did not stick.

When Charles Atkinson, one of the major landowners in the area, was offered the choice of naming the town Moline, “City of Mills”, from the French moulin, as suggested by a local surveyor, or Hesperia, meaning “Star of the West”, he chose Moline. So let’s go there for a visit.

Incorporated in 1848, Moline’s founding fathers were primarily industrialists from New England whose endeavors attracted many Swedish, Belgian, and German immigrants to the area. Moline continued to see population increases well after World War II with additional waves of immigrants from France, Eastern Europe, and Mexico.

Seniors Enjoy Moline’s Eclectic Environment

Moline has a quality environment for business. The corporate headquarters of Deere & Company, the operational headquarters of KONE in the United States, the Quad Cities International Airport, the iWireless Center, Black Hawk College, Western Illinois University-Quad Cities, and SouthPark Mall are all currently located in Moline. The Mississippi River and John Deere are the two biggies.

The diverse heritage still found within Moline is best described as eclectic and offers a broad range of cultural experiences. The Belgian Museum of the Quad Cities offers a collection of documents and archival material for genealogical/historical research.

I know that I would enjoy touring the John Deere Factory. Senior visitors can experience the John Deere Legend by visiting the John Deere Commons, located near the site of the first John Deere Factory. Start with the John Deere Pavilion, one of the largest agricultural exhibits in the world.

The iWireless Center draws top talent in the music industry as well as special performances by Disney on Ice and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The iWireless Center is also the home of the successful minor league hockey team, the Quad City Mallards. Senior visitors can head off to Stephens Square Park to enjoy live music and dancing during the free summer concert series.

Seniors Investigate The Quad Cities

Moline , along with neighboring communities make up what is called the Quad Cities metropolitan area. The city attracts regional and national visitors because of its strong ties to John Deere and Deere & Company.

Downtown Moline will be home to the future Quad Cities Multi-Modal Station, which will provide passenger rail service from Chicago to Moline. Construction of the downtown Moline station is expected to be completed in 2016.

Be sure to take in the Plaza at Bass Street Landing, situated along Moline’s revitalized riverfront. Take a cruise on the Celebration Belle, the largest non-gaming riverboat on the upper Mississippi River. The Mighty Mississippi is always a big draw for senior tourists. -jeb

Seniors Check Out Tunbridge

Today, senior travelers, stop by Tunbridge, a small town up in the mountains of Orange County, Vermont with a population of just over 1,300. Tunbridge consists of three village centers, all situated on Vermont Route 110 in the valley of the first branch of the White River.

The town of Tunbridge was created on September 3, 1761 by way of a royal charter from King George III of England issued to Governor Benning Wentworth.

The name Tunbridge was chosen by Wentworth and most likely in honor of (or to gain favor with), the English noble William Henry Nassau de Zuylestein (1717-1781) and is derived from the old “royal borough” of Tunbridge Wells (sometimes Royal Tunbridge Wells) in England. So now you know some history of that fascinating handle.

Senior visitors will want to stop at Tunbridge Village. The entire center of Tunbridge Village, including the fairgrounds was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. I really like those sites that on the National Register and me, I would try to make it a point to start there on my visit.

Seniors Interested in Tunbridge’s World’s Fair

And bridges…five of them, and all on the National Register. South Tunbridge Methodist Episcopal Church is another stop for some great photos. A big time draw in town is the annual Tunbridge World’s Fair that has been around for 140 years.

The Tunbridge World’s Fair, once of such sleazy reputation that parents ordered their children to stay away and once so wild and wooly that “sober” individuals were turned out as “nuisances”. The fair has cleaned up its act of late, and over the past several years has become one of THE annual events to attend in Vermont.

Senior travelers, as you are enjoying upstate Vermont, set your GPS for Tunbridge and spend some time checking out the many historical sites and attractions that this small community has to offer.

Seniors Enjoy The Hummingbirds

Senior visitors will want to take in the Tunbridge Morgan Horse Heritage Days and the Tunbridge Annual Show, now in its 55th year, pay a visit to the Flint Bridge that is one of the more well-known bridges.

You will see some gorgeous sunsets in the mountains all around Tunbridge as well the beautiful White River. For you birders, I think you might enjoy the Birds of Vermont Museum, the Tunbridge Heritage Days and the Humming Birds Feeding… always a big attraction.

Seniors Enjoy Their Stay In Temple

Well today we are off to check out a city on Interstate 35 that senior travelers find 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. 66,000 folks call Temple home. Temple is in Bell County known by Texans as Central Texas. Central Texas is a region in Texas surrounding Austin and roughly bordered by Brady to Kerrville to La Grange to Waco.

I know that I have driven by Temple on my way from Iowa cruising on down to Corpus Christi, but today, we are going to stop and explore the city. Given a name like Temple, it surely had origins and a history behind it.

As many towns in Texas, Temple was founded in 1881 as a railroad town. It was named after a Santa Fe Railroad official, Bernard Moore Temple who was a civil engineer and former surveyor with the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Company. Just like my hometown in Iowa (Monmouth pop. 151) that was named after a railway engineer and once was “thriving” with a population over 300.

Seniors Travelers Discover A Medical Community

Today, Temple thrives in a complex economy, with its reputation as a regional medical center leading the way. Baylor Scott & White Memorial Hospital is the largest employer in the area with 12,000 employees that includes 800 physicians and scientists.

Check out the electronic version of the 2015 Visitor’s Guide above and flip through pages on what you will be able to see and do in Temple. You will discover a plethora of amenities that are ongoing all year long for visitors of all ages. Then click on: 101 Things To Do in Temple.

The Local Chamber of Commerce invites you to explore their dynamic city, from its pioneer and railroad heritage to its modern designation as one of the nation’s outstanding medical communities.

Senior Hikers And Bikers Find The Trails

For hikers and bikers, the 2 mile walking trail at 100 acre Temple Lions Park awaits your arrival. I counted 16 trails for senior hikers to enjoy in Temple. Great places for some exercise and to observe the city. Miller Park, South Temple Park, West Temple Park and Wilson Park are also great places to relax and take it easy.

For my wife and me, we would first head off to the Temple Commercial Historic District since we enjoy classic architecture and old buildings. It is loaded with beautiful colorful facades with iron balconies. From there over to the Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum with another interesting design and red brick facade.

Incidentally, the beautiful Visitor’s Center is in the historic district and senior visitors are invited to stop by for information on the city. A walk through the Temple College campus would also be high on our list of things to see and do.

Discover the daily life happenings in Temple via the Temple Daily News Telegram newspaper. I have always felt the the daily news provides a great overview of any city. Seniors enjoy your stop in Temple, Texas. -jeb

Seniors Head For Tempe

This senior has lived in the Valley as it is called (Phoenix area) over the past eight years. My wife felt that it was time to do a blog on Tempe, our next door neighbor. Around here one says Tempee.

Tempe, also known as Hayden’s Ferry during the territorial time, is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona with around 160,000+ inhabitants.

I discovered in writing this blog that Tempe is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece.

Downtown Tempe is where the culture and entertainment action is. Senior visitors will not run out of things to see and do in Tempe.

Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale on the north, Chandler on the south, and Mesa on the east.

Seniors Visit The Grady Gammage

Tempe is the home of Arizona State University’s oldest and largest “Tempe” campus, with 91,000 students. Tempe is also home to a host of local popular cultural events and performances at the Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium.

Seating 3,000+, the Gammage is considered to be the last public commission of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. ASU Gammage is among the largest university-based presenters of performing arts in the world.

Another popular performance favorite is The Tempe Center for the Arts (TCA), one of the finest venues in Arizona and a jewel in the crown of a city known for its support of the arts.

Seniors Mill With Students on Mill Avenue

A favorite haunt for ASU students and yours truly, is the tree lined Mill Avenue District, the epicenter for night life featuring a variety of ethnic restaurants, bars and small shops. American dishes and steakhouses to sushi, Italian and Mediterranean restaurants abound in all directions and are favorites of the ASU student body.

Tempe Town Lake is an engineering marvel that protects the region from flooding, provides recreation, creates jobs and stimulates investment in Tempe. More than 2.7 million people spend time at Town Lake each year. The City of Tempe’s many special events that take place all year long are what make this city fun and unique.

Read about the History of Tempe and note that today, Tempe is well known nationally as the home of the Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona Cardinals.

Head for Tempe in November for the famed IRONMAN Arizona race. Competing in these races are some of the top athletes in the world.

TripAdvisor has over four dozen things for senior visitors to see and do. So when you are in the Valley, make it a point to check out Tempe. -jeb

Seniors Get Out Your Portuguese Dictionaries

São Tomé and Príncipe is often called just “São Tomé” for short. Senior visitors will find this African island country, whose population is 200,000, near the equator. It is part of a volcano chain featuring striking rock and coral formations, rain forests and beaches.

So, get your coffee and be welcomed to the exotic and beautiful islands of São Tomé and Principe. Like no other islands in the Atlantic Ocean, São Tomé seems to embody a kind of lush tropical paradise usually associated with the South Pacific.

The atmosphere is pure luxury and it is an intoxicating blend of sunlight, sea, air and fantastically abundant green vegetation.

Senior Visitors Find A Jungle Preserve

The larger island, São Tomé (pop. 64,000), is popular for snorkeling in Lagoa Azul lagoon. Ôbo Natural Park, a bio-diverse jungle preserve, covers much of São Tomé and is distinguished by Pico Cão Grande, a skyscraper-like volcanic rock.

São Tomé and Principe is Africa’s smallest state and situated in the gulf of Guinea in western Africa. The official language is Portuguese and it is spoken natively by over half of the population, but basically everyone (95%) can speak it. The other main language is called Forro, which is a Portuguese-based creole language.

Until the recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea which has had a significant impact on the country’s economy, its primary source of revenues came from its agriculture with the main crop of cocoa which still is the country’s most important crop.

Seniors Discover Hidden Gems

TripAdvisor suggests senior visitors find two beaches, Banana Beach and Praia Jale.The Roça Belo Monte is a plantation hotel on Principe and is considered as one of the last hidden gems. The Pico Mocambo, a Cafe Bar in the center of São Tomé city, is an ancient colonial house and another gem not to be missed.

There are a surprising number of heritage buildings dating back to the colonial era. The sublime laid-back tempo is enhanced by a wealth of natural attractions: miles of perfect palm-fringed beaches, huge swathes of emerald rainforest, soaring volcanic peaks and mellow fishing villages.

The birdlife is excellent, and endemic plants (especially orchids) are plentiful. In season, turtle- and whale-watching opportunities abound. If seniors enjoy the ocean water, the waters around São Tomé are aqua clear and rich with sea-life. Consequently, diving, fishing and boat tours provide plenty to see and do. The forests of both islands lend themselves to hiking.

Seniors are invited to enjoy the peace and quiet of a hidden treasure that is modern and enticingly inviting. Enjoy your visit to São Tomé and Príncipe. -jeb

Seniors Search Out Old Bethpage

I came across the name of Old Bethpage in a recent travel magazine and thought the name worthy of a visit. Senior travelers will find that Old Bethpage is a hamlet located on Long Island in the Town of Oyster Bay, New York. The population was 5,523 at the 2010 census.

In 1695 Thomas Powell purchased around 10,000 acres and called his land Bethphage, because it was situated between two other places on Long Island, Jericho and Jerusalem, just as the biblical town of Bethphage (meaning “house of figs”) was situated between Jericho and Jerusalem.

Old Bethpage is home to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration (OBVR). Opened in 1963, on a former Powell family farm, the restoration is an authentic pre-Civil War recreation of a mid-19th century Long Island village.

Seniors Enjoy Restored Village

The complex includes farmhouses, a blacksmith, general store, cobbler, school house and churches, all of which were moved to the site from other locations on Long Island and then restored to period condition. Senior visitors will have the unique opportunity to step back in time and experience life as it was on Long Island during the 19th century.

The village consists of 36 houses, barns, and a total of 55 historic buildings on a 209-acre plot dating from 1765 through 1865. Representing a typical rural Long Island farm village of the time, its roots are in Dutch and English settlements on Long Island.

As of 2007 the village has opened a Restoration Farm that grows produce available for sale to the public through the villages farm stand in the parking lot.

Reminds me a lot of our family visit to Plimouth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts that is a 17th-Century English Village re-creation of the small farming and maritime community built by the Pilgrims along the shore of Plymouth Harbor.

Seniors Invited To Take A Field Trip

See what’s happening in and around Old Bethpage Long Island and plan to take in some of the major events. Take a “senior field trip” to Old Bethpage that today features special seasonal activities, such as an 1880’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration in March, Sheep Shearing in May, Civil War Battle in July, and the Fall Harvest in September, the month of the Long Island Fair — one of the state’s oldest agricultural expositions.

Can’t go wrong in Old Bethpage. TripAdvisor suggests that visitors not miss the two major attractions in Old Bethpage, the Old Bethpage Village Restoration and the Museum of American Armor.

Discover the history behind World War II military armor at the Museum of American Armor and learn all about the armor used by the US military. Senior visitors find plenty to keep them occupied in Old Bethpage. -jeb